OISIN COGHLAN,
Madam, - We were pleased to see in Siobhán Creaton's report "21,500 bogus non-resident accounts found" (Business, January 21st) that Government revenues have benefited from an unexpected bonus in raising €100 million from bogus non-resident account holders. We urge the Government immediately to transfer these funds to some real non-residents - those desperately in need of assistance in the developing world.
Despite the Government's repeated statements that Ireland will increase spending on Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) so as to reach the UN target of 0.7 per cent of GNP by 2007, this year expenditure will reach only €373 million, or is 0.41 per cent of GNP. This is far below the €441 million, or 0.48 per cent of GNP, which the government had been due to spend under an agreement reached between the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Finance in 2000. At the moment the Government appears to be going backward rather than forward on this commitment.
The extra €100 million in revenue recouped from bogus non-resident account holders comes on top of a late improvement in tax receipts and the saving on servicing the national debt which delivered an extra €600 million. This resulted in an unexpected Government surplus at the end of 2002. As a further set of letters to another 40,000 account-holders are due to be posted, it would be reasonable to assume the Government is set to receive more millions in the near future.
Given the depth of poverty and continuing crises in Ethiopia and Southern Africa, we believe the Government should make good its promise for 2003's aid budget. An additional $63 million should be allocated immediately to Overseas Development Assistance. - Yours, etc.,
OISIN COGHLAN,
Advocacy Officer,
Christian Aid Ireland;
CAOIMHE DE BARRA,
Advocacy Officer,
Trócaire;
COLIN ROCHE,
Advocacy Officer,
Oxfam Ireland,
Dublin 2.